It is fall here in the North. Went to my first OctoberFest of the year last weekend (September) for my birthday. It was a family affair with my wife, brother and sister-in-law. Beer, schnitzel, spätzle, strudel … YIKES! I definitely enjoyed it, but too many of those rich meal days over the coming holidays could really add up. SO … it looks like the festive season is upon us, and it is time to start planning out fitness and eating goals for the month and check in with Fitbit friends to get support for hitting our goals. Let’s get started! (Of course, if you don't see this before the month starts, just join the party mid-month and set your goals for however many weeks are left).
General monthly instructions are below, including the monthly picture scavenger hunt.
How It Works
The primary purpose of these monthly challenges is to keep track of your daily step goals for the month; though many of us track other things as well, like body weight exercises, sleep, trips to the gym, logging food, etc. This is not a competition to see who can do the most of whatever, instead it is a challenge to measure your consistency. So whether you do 1k, 5k, 10k or even 40k steps a day, this is measuring how many days out of the monthly total you can hit your goal.
Some might have a constant goal of 10k steps every single day and others might have a variable goal throughout the week, (and some might even plan days off!) for example.
Monday -> Friday = 10k steps a day
Sat & Sun = “6k steps a day,” or “not tracking”
Regardless of how you structure your daily goals, the only thing that matters for the monthly challenge is whether or not you reach what you set out to do.
Suggested Posting Format
1) Post either your constant or variable step goal.
2) Keep track of the # of daily goals achieved out of the monthly minimum and or monthly total
OctoberFEST 2021
Picture Scavenger Hunt
The theme this month is … seasonal changes (a tree or flower or storefront at the beginning of the month, and again at the end); Halloween decorations/costumes, trick or treaters; German OctoberFEST related.
OctoberFest
Posting
Although you certainly don’t have to post daily, you’ll likely stay closer to what you set out to do by updating the thread several times/week
Injury Notice
If you injure yourself during the month and need to scale back due to the injury, then all you have to do is adjust your goal for that period. If you normally do 10k steps a day but pull a hamstring and decide to do minimal walking (2k steps a day), then all you have to do is change your goal.
Scott | Baltimore MD
Charge 6; Inspire 3; Luxe; iPhone 13 Pro
Thanks for the early jump on October goals @Baltoscott . I’ll be back soon to post my new goals for OctoberFEST 2021!
OctoberFest
13K Steps/Day: --/31
750+ Calorie Deficient/Day: --/31
IF Daily (12 hr weekday/16:8 weekend): --/31
Weights 2x/week: --/8
Stretch 4x/week: --/16
Squats 30/day: --/13
Lose 3 pounds: --/3
Photo Scavenger Hunt: -/3
Total Steps: --/430,000
It's finally getting cooler, so here's to hoping I can get more walks in without melting from heat. I just have to remember my umbrella more with all this rain!
OctoberFEST 2021 GOALS
8,000+ steps: 5 days
10,000+ steps: 10 days
12,000+ steps: 10 days
Bellicon (15-min program): 20 days
Lose weight (starting xx): 1.5 kilos
Eat 1 piece of fruit: 20 days
Blue (no alcohol) days: 13 days
Scavenger hunt: 3 pics
No major changes to my goals. Just keeping on track basically.
Goals for October
10,000 steps a day for 20 days -/20
15 days over 12,000 -/15
10 days over 15,000 steps -/10
3 days over 20,000 steps -/3
Physio exercises 20 days -/20
20 exercise sessions (swim, bike, vigorous walk, dance) -/20
3 Scavenger Hunt pics -/3
Helen | Western Australia
Want to discuss ways to increase your activity? Visit Get Moving in the Lifestyle Discussion Forum.
Here are my goals for OctoberFEST 2021.
| 17K steps/day | /25 | |
1 pushup + shoulder extension /day | /30 | |
15 weight-lifting days (body weight routines count this month) | /15 | |
post 3 scavenger pics | /3 | |
Sleep 6:15 hours + 16 days or more during the month | /16 | |
1 pull-up | /30 | |
| Unicycle: 15 mins/day for 25 days | /25 | |
| Fill out calorie total from MyFitnessPal every Friday | 10/1 | |
| 12 Dry (no alcohol) days | /12 |
Missed my sleep and dry day goals last month so I've reset this month's totals to what I actually did in STEPtember to give myself a more realistic chance. Holiday season is tough! And instead of a weight goal this month, I'm going to report my calorie totals for Fridays. Haven't used MFP for a while and I think my Friday eating could use a little more focus for a month.
Scott | Baltimore MD
Charge 6; Inspire 3; Luxe; iPhone 13 Pro
GOALS
10-12,000 steps per day:
3 sets of 5 exercises every other day:
Log weight weekly:
1 hr of exercise each day:
6.5 hr sleep each day:
Log meals daily:
3 pictures: Seasonal change
Fitbit Product Experts Alumni are retired members of the Fitbit Product Expert Program. Learn more
Here are my goals for OctoberFEST 2021
| 10k steps per day | 0 | /31 |
| 13,699 steps per day | 0 | /19 |
| 17k steps per day | 0 | /11 |
| Activities | 0 | /15 |
| Photo Scavenger Hunt | 0 | /3 |
| Full 'Reminders to Move' Days | 0 | /11 |
| Finish challenges | 0 | /9 |
| Update post | 0 | /7 |
Frank | Washington, USA
Fitbit One, Ionic, Charge 2, Alta HR, Blaze, Surge, Flex, Flex 2, Zip, Ultra, Flyer, Aria, Aria 2 - Windows 10, Windows Phone
Take a look at the Fitbit help site for further assistance and information.
1 October
Goals for October
10,000 steps a day for 20 days 1/20
15 days over 12,000 1/15
10 days over 15,000 steps -/10
3 days over 20,000 steps -/3
Physio exercises 20 days 1/20
20 exercise sessions (swim, bike, vigorous walk, dance) 1/20
3 Scavenger Hunt pics -/3
Helen | Western Australia
Want to discuss ways to increase your activity? Visit Get Moving in the Lifestyle Discussion Forum.
OctoberFEST 2021 - Day 1
8,000+ steps: 0/5 days
10,000+ steps: 1/10 days
12,000+ steps: 0/10 days
Bellicon (15-min program): 1/20 days
Lose weight (starting 63.7): 0/1.5 kilos
IF (16:8): 1/29*
Eat 1 piece of fruit: 1/20 days
Blue (no alcohol) days: 0/13 days
Scavenger hunt: 0/3 pics
*NEW goal — I recently started doing intermittent fasting (IF) seriously. I am giving myself a couple of possible days off since it’s a birthday month.
OctoberFEST 2021 - Day 2
8,000+ steps: 0/5 days
10,000+ steps: 2/10 days
12,000+ steps: 0/10 days
Bellicon (15-min program): 2/20 days
Lose weight (starting 63.7): 0/1.5 kilos
IF (16:8): 2/29*
Eat 1 piece of fruit: 2/20 days
Blue (no alcohol) days: 1/13 days
Scavenger hunt: 0/3 pics
OctoberFEST 2021 - Day 3
8,000+ steps: 0/5 days
10,000+ steps: 2/10 days
12,000+ steps: 0/10 days
Bellicon (15-min program): 2/20 days
Lose weight (starting 63.7): 0/1.5 kilos
IF (16:8): 3/29
Eat 1 piece of fruit: 3/20 days
Blue (no alcohol) days: 1/13 days
Scavenger hunt: 0/3 pics
Was invited for lunch and dessert at 4 (called z’vieri over here). Something disagrees with my stomach so can’t get more steps in today. Will have an Alkaselzer and hope things calm down.
Day 3 for OctoberFEST 2021.
| 17K steps/day | 3/25 | |
1 pushup + shoulder extension /day | 3/30 | |
15 weight-lifting days (body weight routines count this month) | 2/15 | |
post 3 scavenger pics | 1/3 | |
Sleep 6:15 hours + 16 days or more during the month | 3/16 | |
1 pull-up | 3/30 | |
| Unicycle: 15 mins/day for 25 days | 3/25 | |
| Fill out calorie total from MyFitnessPal every Friday | 10/1 | 2428 cal |
| 12 Dry (no alcohol) days | 1/12 |
First day of the month was a Friday. I remembered to track and have reported my total calories. Not too bad since pizza and beer were involved 🙂
@SunsetRunner @Shirlzz @SteppingBooks -- are you guys trying to do IF with others in your house on a different eating schedule? That would be a pretty big barrier for me, though I guess dinner tends to be the meal most often eaten together so if your eating window includes that part of the day maybe it's not that hard.
First set of scavenger hunt pics -- from the Fell Point Fun Festival in Baltimore.
Scott | Baltimore MD
Charge 6; Inspire 3; Luxe; iPhone 13 Pro
Great pics @Baltoscott! My IF ‘eating window’ is from 11.30 to 19.30. If I eventually shift from a 16/8 to a 18/6 schedule (longer fasting time), I’ll probably start at 13.00 and end 19.00. My husband and I don’t often eat together. Though long retired, his 30+ years’ of air traffic control irregular schedules messed him up.
OctoberFest 1-3
13K Steps/Day: 01/31
750+ Calorie Deficient/Day: 03/31
IF Daily (12 hr weekday/16:8 weekend): 02/31
Weights 2x/week: --/8
Stretch 4x/week: --/16
Squats 30/day: --/13
Lose 3 pounds: --/3
Photo Scavenger Hunt: -/3
Total Steps: 23,218/430,000
@Baltoscott I'm the only one in the household doing IF. I don't find it a challenge now. It was a bit difficult for the first few months because I'd smell food cooking and I'd want it right then. I unfortunately broke my goal streak with IF though this weekend. I had some family business on Saturday to attend to, and I knew if I didn't cut my fast short and eat earlier, I probably would have been in a hangry mode. I can only do about 20 hour fast at max without having mood issues, but that's about knowing your body and limits.